Category: Rochester

Upstate Spring Revival in Review Part 3/3

Editors note: This is part 3 of our 3 part Upstate Spring Revival coverage that features the music from the weekend. Take a look at coverage in Part 1 and Part 2.

What a fantastic weekend! Despite possibly the worst weather conditions imaginable from Friday evening through Saturday morning, the State Wide Music staff came through. Kudos to sound man Tim, who gave us one of the best sounding festivals ever; site manager Jeff for his tank-sturdy stages, cameramen Kevin and Brennan for braving torrential downpour conditions with expensive equipment, and most of all, to the bands and festival-goers for keeping an upbeat “We’re all friends” attitude throughout the fracas. Big thanks to Herby One and State Wide Music for yet again delivering the perfect regional festival experience.

Didn’t have enough yet? State Wide Music has two more shindigs planned for the summer at Miller Hollow in Marion NY. June 13th-16th will be the second annual Fiddlers Picnic. Spotlighting some of the region’s best bluegrass music, the festival will include the moe. side project Floodwood, Dangermuffin, The Rumpke Mountain Boys, and many more. July 11th-14th is Upstate Boogie 4, featuring one of the funkiest lineups ever with Kung Fu, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sophistafunk and more to be announced!

Here are some of the featured setlists from some of the hottest sets over the weekend at Upstate Spring Revival:

Flabberghaster

View From The Mountain, Lies, Stone Free[Hendrix],Hangin’ On The Moss,The Crunge>Dazed and Confused[Zeppelin],Who Put This Spell On Me,Coming Up For Air, Lose Your Shoes, The Machine, Whipping Post[Allmans]

Mister F

Deal Breaker, Everything You Say, This One Goes to 11, Jump the Shark, Treadmill, Bed Intruder Song >Vocoder, Answer the Dog, Hedgehog

Ocupanther

I Feel Love[Donna Summer], Pyromancer*, Misunderstanding Hugs, Naga Golokia, Ghostless, Fraktura, Stompgoat

* Debut

Formula 5

Earthbound Tim, King Harvest[The Band], New Untitled Song, The Clear %-> Nu-Gen -> 3 Ring Circus -> The Ride Ending

% Unfinished

Dopapod

Nuggy Jawson -> Priorities -> The National Anthem[Radiohead] -> Priorities, Weird Charlie > Cloud World, Donkey Kong Theme *€> Trapper Keeper*, Bats In The Cave^, Present Ghosts, French Bowling+

*contained elements of “Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2” by Pink Floyd
€debut
^w/ Mike Gantzer from Aqueous on guitar for the jam, Dr Dre teases
+contained elements of “Hey Are You Going To Burning Man?” by Electric Apricot

Timbre Coup

Snoop Tiger, July, TheWay > Jam > Roland Opus, I didn’t know She had a Mustache, June, Arnold Schwarzeneggar

Aqueous

Skyway, Strange Times, Aldehyde > Uncle Phil’s Parachute >Fur Elise[Beethoven]* >Uncle Phil’s Parachute > Knights of Cydonia[Muse] > Warren in the Window > Timmy’s Blades > Regulators[Warren G]**, Pictures > Origami % > Uncle Phil’s Parachute ***

* Linus and Lucy tease

** With Chuck [Dopapod] on bass, Evan on vocals

*** Schism teases [Tool]

% Unfinished

May 30, 2013
Upstate Spring Revival in Review Part 2/3: The Sounds

Editors note: This is part 2 of our 3 part Upstate Spring Revival coverage that features the music from the weekend. Come back tomorrow for our final article, “The Skinny and The Setlists”

The music started promptly at 7:30pm Thursday night with the combined forces of Carly Jane and Train Rat. The Cohocton, NY band’s melodic hypnotizing jazzy blues with a hidden fury was a great way to kick start the weekends musical expeditions. Along with a slew of originals, they offered up sexy versions of Peggy Lee’s “Fury” and The Devil Makes Three’s “Old Number 7”. Following Train Rat was Springwater’s White Woods with their own brand of Cake-esque alt-rock with extra frosting. The two bands also collaborated on a song with some expert mandolin play and an audience chanting “Chugging down to New Orleans” right along with the musicians.

Thursday’s closer was Vermont’s Flabberghaster. While hard to define given their unique flavor, one could imagine AC/DC mashed up with the Allman Brothers and get a sense of their sound. This was some rocking music and the crowd ate it up. Beyond the head banging, the band also went on a number of exploratory improvisations from bare bones hard rock to jazzy percussive clap-alongs. While their set was somewhat cover heavy, they made songs like Led Zeppelin’s “The Crunge” and the Allman Brothers “Whipping Post” their own with no fear of straying from the original song structure. Where’s that confounded bridge? Who cares! The crowd wandered back to their tents completely flabbergasted. True to rock and roll form the band slept overnight on the stage.

Friday started out early with Canandaigua’s Upstate. The bands blues based rock and roll with lots of experimentation and fierce peaks got people out of their tents and down to the stages. In the middle of the set they offered a fun mash-up of one of their originals with the new Daft Punk song “Get Lucky”. Following Upstate was Buffalo’s Slip Madigan. The band’s upbeat happy music with funky breakdowns and hints of electronica was a great match to the unexpected sun shining down on the crowd. The newly formed Mister F followed, composed of 3 members of Albany’s Timbre Coup and Scott Hannay from Capital Zen. The F maintains their own sound, which runs the gambits of influences from funk and rock to jazz and electronica. Their self-described genre of “Neat and Clean, Hard and Dangerous” is pretty much spot on.

Rochester’s Ocupanther then laid its claws into the audience with their brand of instrumental funk-space-psychedelia featuring the juxtaposing styles of Berkeley schooled axeman Colin Jones and self taught shred wizard Mikey Pantano. They opened with an adventurous cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and the audience responded with much love of their own. Friday’s evening journey began with Albany’s Timbre Coup and their deep progressive rock influences, intertwining metal overtones and doses of electronic forays with top notch vocals. As the sprinkles started to turn to rain, true to their name, Project Weather Machine stormed the stage for an hour and a half of Grateful Dead and old school blues inspired improvisations with awesome names like “Nitrous Roxide”. As the rain progressed in intensity festival goers were treated to the first show by Buffalo’s Universe Shark in several months. Despite their hiatus they did nothing but deliver, keeping the crowd dancing in the mud. Closing out the evening was the return of the much revered Schleigho. Their set was nothing short of mind-numbingly brilliant, ranging from pure technical by-the-numbers wizardry to wide open “Space”-esque exploration. Musicians were buzzing about this set the rest of the weekend with phrases like “It was like going to jam clinic” and “I’m not worthy” being thrown about.

Saturday started later than anticipated. Stage equipment was all moved to the main stage due to the mud pit in front of the secondary stage. Thankfully the weather cleared, the sun came out, and Ithaca’s Solaris started things off with some excellent intense EDM. Albany’s Formula 5 proved quite the draw in the next spot with their genre-everywhere sound. Funk, rock, blues, jazz, electronic, it was all in the mix as well as a fun cover of The Bands “King Harvest”. The trio of Rochester’s Haewa filled the 5pm slot with some of the most extended jamming of the weekend, more of Colin Jones guitar-pyrotechnics, and a rock solid grooving core.

The evening lineup of Vermont’s Twiddle, Buffalo’s Aqueous, and NYC’s exploding Dopapod was so hot people were wiring their doctors to re-up their heart medications. Twiddle started it off with a set filled with improv, explosive soaring peaks, and a jam of Phish’s “Contact” that ended up going from “Funkytown” to “Billy Jean”. The centerpiece of the show was a monster version of original “The Box” which simply went everywhere. Aqueous then one upped everyone with the biggest crowd of the weekend thus far, and a hot-as-fire set no amount of liquid could extinguish. Filled with effortless segues, memorable originals, a fun sit-in from Dopapod’s Chuck Jones on Warren G’s “Regulate”, and a brilliantly intense take on Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia”, Aqueous had the audience in the palm of their hand. Brooklyn’s Dopapod closed the evening set with an all out rager, effortlessly gliding from song to song with the best light show of the weekend by far. This band is on fire and should not be missed at any opportunity. Aqueous’s Mike Gantzer sat in for original “Bats in the Cave” complete with some well placed Dr Dre “Xxplosive” teases.

Those that survived the onslaught of Aquapod stayed up for the late night set of NYC’s Consider the Source, whose technical expertise may not be surpassed by anyone. Imagine a Primus that got all jammy and had three Les Claypools running the show. Pure intense perfection and an exquisite end to the fest. An incredible weekend of music, with each band bringing their A-games.

Come back tomorrow for our weekend summation and an assortment of some of the weekends best setlists.

May 29, 2013
Upstate Spring Revival in Review Part 1/3: The Scene

Family. No other word can describe a regional festival like Upstate Spring Revival festival better than family. Familiar faces from shows over the years. Passing by the same groups to and fro from the campsite, always with friendly salutations and wide smiles. Meeting new people spinning tails of their travels freely as if every soul they meet is an old friend. Sharing toasts and high fives with complete strangers, shyness abandoned. In our modern; smart-phone consumed; too busy to say hello world, this situational rarity is beyond refreshing. It’s a damn good feeling and a great way to spend a weekend in the woods. May 8-11 at The Whispering Pines Hideaway proved this concept beyond a shadow of doubt.

The Hideaway is typically an aviary hunting preserve and ATV adventure site, with trap towers, clay pigeon throwers, and rut filled off-roading trails throughout the area. While this may seem an ironic venue for a gathering of peace loving hippies, it proved itself perfect for the weekends experience. Car camping was available throughout the site with a plethora of settings, be it wooded, open field, or just a place to lay down in the grass. Musicians roamed freely through the crowd chatting with fans and fellow music makers. Both secondary and primary stages were located in a lower area, surrounded by trees, but still allowing a picturesque view of the sunset. The stages were minutes from each other with a variety of vending, drum circles and lessons, and glass blowing demonstrations all conveniently located within the main “Shakedown Street”.

Weather ended up being better than forecast. Thursday night through late Friday afternoon was beautiful. Friday night through Saturday was a bit rough with blowing rain but everyone kept in good spirits. Many huddled around campfires sharing jovial tales while others wandered the site in rain ponchos making new friends. Musicians plowed through the weather unscathed and everyone delivered excellent sets. Saturday night, between sets, Solar Flare and entourage offered up a spectacular display of pyrotechnic acrobatics. Other activities included live glass blowing demonstrations, drum lessons and circles, face painting, and much more.

Come back tomorrow to read our review of “The Sounds” featuring pictures by contributing photographer Kevin Burke.

Photos by Darren Kemp

Editors note: This is part one of our three part review of the Spring Revival festival. Each article will include a photo gallery from one of our three featured photographers.

May 28, 2013
Photo Review: John Brown’s Body at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester

John Brown’s Body pretty much packed Water Street Music Hall with reggae fans for The Big Upstate Reggae Fest. They shared the stage with Dub Trio, Nevergreen, Among Criminals and Axis Armada. John Brown’s Body just released their new album Kings and Queens, highly recommend for fans of JBB.

The rest of the acts put on equally impressive shows, with a crowd that was definitely into the music and generated energy on both sides of Water Street Music Hall, making for a magical evening. The upbeat vibes of reggae kept everyone going all night and JBB capped off the night with an encore of “33 Revolutions”. Overall, Big Upstate Reggae Fest and the entire lineup did not disappoint,; here’s looking forward to the next one!

May 17, 2013
Too Legit To Quit: Rochester Supergroup, Legit, Debuts at Roam Cafe

When musical forces combine, the people shall align. So they came to Rochester’s Roam Cafe on a chilly Monday night in May to witness the birth of Legit. The band is composed of Charles Lindner of The Manhattan Project on keys, Wil McKenna of the much missed Roots Collider and local drummer extraordinaire Matt Ramerman of The Teressa Wilcox Band. One could say Matt is from the band ‘Everything’ as he seems to be everywhere weaving his percussive magic. Busting out of the norm, Wil appeared on bass instead of expounding his usual shred-Jedi guitar licks and laid down thick grooves all night.

The denizens of ROC-city are truly lucky to have such a thriving musical scene with major artists coming through consistently and local musicians collaborating multiple days every week. Many of these shows are free and the Monday shows at Roam are no exception. Roam is an Italian style cafe with a full bar, friendly staff, and good drink selection. New to the Park Ave. neighborhood, it is run by Drew Nye, who also owns the Dubland Underground.

The first set featured visiting friend and musician, guitarist Paul McArdle from Austin, Texas. The foursome went through about an hour of pure improv with sounds ranging from smooth jazz and chilled out blues to exploratory psychedelia. At times one could hear a multitude of influences from Steely Dan to Pink Floyd and even Ween. Four musicians at the top of their game making up music on the spot just can’t be beat.

Set two was the true threesome of Legit playing original tunes. While the tunes definitely had a raw flavor, they were interpreted flawlessly, and the possibility of future explorations was evident in every track. Halfway through the set the band offered up a spot on bacon delicious instrumental rendition of The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”. They finished up and spent the setbreak mingling with the virtual “Who’s who” of Rochester musicians in the house.

A third set followed featuring Paul again, who showed off his deft knowledge of the fretboard until the end. A great night for all and at a price no-one could poo-poo. encourages all our valued readers to support these free nights at Roam along with all the instant supergroups that “Roam where they want too” around the city. Examples being the RocCity Pro Jam (most Tuesday’s at assorted venues) and the free shows most Wednesday’s and Friday’s at Temple Bar and Grill. No parachute pants required!

Catch Legit’s 2nd show Friday May 17th at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester NY with Haewa and the Heady Yeti’s. 5$ 18+

May 17, 2013
Mickey Hart, Approaching 70, Keeping the Spirit Alive with Evolving Group

When Hurricane Sandy devastated the east coast last year, drummer Mickey Hart sat around watching the news, saddened but inspired by the resiliency shown.

“It was heart-wrenching,” Hart, one of the four living members of the Grateful Dead, said in a recent phone interview. “I saw Bon Jovi on NBC News and all of a sudden the song just popped into my head.”

The song he is referring to is titled “JerseyShore,” and is available for free download at mickeyhart.net. Hart said he wanted to give back to the people affected by asking for donations from those who download the song. You can download it for free, but the site encourages you to donate whatever amount you can. Hart is giving 100 percent of the proceeds to the Sandy Relief Fund.

Hart said that he and his group, the Mickey Hart Band, collaborated to come up with the song. He gave credit to bassist DaveSchools, also of Widespread Panic, in helping the song develop.

“It was my idea for the song, but the entire band contributed,” Hart said. “It just popped out, but everyone in the band lent a voice to it. … To me, music is many things, and one of those is that it helps to heal, to sing about what hurts and to illuminate pain. It’s like medicine and it boosts confidence.”

Hart’s band has been going strong for three years now, with an ever-changing cast of musicians. For a guy who is about to hit his 70^th birthday, Hart said he is as inspired as ever to write new music – he disclosed that a new album should be released by the end of the summer – while keeping the Grateful Dead spirit alive by putting a new take on old classics. The album does not have a title yet, but Hart said that he and long-time Dead lyricist Robert Hunter have collaborated on it, and that Hunter is rejuvenated.

“Hunter is writing at the top of his game,” Mickey Hart said. “He’s still chock-full of ideas for great songs, and we’re gonna play those songs on this tour.”

Hart joined the Grateful Dead in 1967, right around the time Hunter moved into the famed house at 710 Ashbury St. in San Francisco. Hart said his relationship with Hunter is just as strong as it was 46 years ago.

“There’s no one like him,” Hart said. “He has an egoless style.”

The band recently wrapped up the first leg of the Worlds Within Tour and announced a second leg, which focuses mainly on the northeast. The tour starts May 8 in Charlotte, N.C., and concludes May 24 at the Dark Star Jubilee in Ohio. In between are stops in Virginia, New York City, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Boston and Burlington, Vt.

On May 22, Hart brings his band, which comprises vocalist Crystal Monee Hall, keyboardist Joe Bagale, guitarist Gawain Matthews, percussionist Sikiru Adepoju, with whom Hart won a Grammy in their Planet Drum project in the 1990s, drummer Greg Schutte and multi-instrumentalist Jonah Sharp to the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. The following night, the band will perform at the WaterStreetMusic Hall in Rochester.

Schools will not be involved with this tour, as he has previous commitments. Schools said he is prepping for Widespread Panic’s upcoming summer tour. Schools joined the band in late 2011, and has toured with band ever since.

“He’s got a day job, man,” Mickey Hart said. “But I can say that ‘BassMountain’ is still a big part of the band. He and I have a great dynamic in working together.”

Filling in for Schools on the Worlds Within Tour is Adam Theis, who will also play trombone, according to Hart.

On Jan. 6, 2012, the band performed at the Westcott, throwing down some amazingly brilliant and completely different takes on the Dead’s repertoire. Hall’s voice adds a layer of depth the Dead didn’t have vocally. Prior to joining Hart’s team, Hall was a part of the Tony Award-winning musical RENT.

Before that show, Hart talked about his plans for taking light waves captured from outer space by scientists from Lawrence Berkeley Labs in California and turning them into sound bytes. From there, Hart used those sounds as either inspiration, or built a song or rhythm around them.

To Dead fans, this may bring up the “Drums>Space” segment that happened at almost every show, but Hart cautioned otherwise, saying: “This is not space like (the Dead) used to do; we’re not interpreting what space is. This is us using the source material, the sounds of space, to play with our sound. This band can do that.”

The conversation then turned toward the obvious: Will the living members of the Dead ever tour again? Was 2009’s tour the last?

“I can’t answer that,” Hart said. “I look forward to any reunion of any kind, but it has to feel good.”

Hart concluded the conversation by connecting the fans and the band.

“These shows are gonna throb,” he said. “Fans will experience it with us. We need the audience, and they need us. Each night will be three hours of powerful music, and I consider it a privilege that I continue to do this. I might not be able to do some of the things I was capable of in my 20s, but I can say I am focused. I’m almost 70 and I don’t see myself retiring.”

For more information on the tour, please visit mickeyhart.net for shows and ticketing information.

May 10, 2013
Rochester Lilac Festival May 10-19, 2013

The 1,200 lilac bushes decorating the 22 acres of Highland Park
will put on a spectacular show May 10-19, 2013, exploding with color and fragrance during the Rochester Lilac Festival — showcasing the world’s largest collection of lilacs during the largest and oldest festival of its kind.

The 105-year-old festival this year has a new name, adding the word Rochester to the title, plus a new logo, new events and attractions, high-profile national music acts,  and a new producer, The Springut Group.

What’s new and notable for the Lilac Fest in 2013?

Wine & Chocolate Tasting:

Three evenings of a Wine & Chocolate Tasting under the big tent, where you can sample more
than 150 different local, regional, and national wines from more than 30 wineries — from 4
to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 14; Wednesday, May 15; and Thursday, May 16.

Craft Beer Garden:

A Craft Beer Garden will offer more than 20 varieties of eclectic regional and national beers on
tap on a rotating schedule of five different beers per day, for sale alongside a variety of beers
from Genesee Brewery. The featured breweries are Ithaca, Victory, Long Trail, and Pyramid.

Kid Power!

Each year a portion of the park is transformed into a mini amusement park during the Lilac
Festival. And this year the children’s rides and entertainment will feature new mini rides and
several bounce houses and inflatable obstacle courses. The kids’ stage will offer a variety of acts
and is being relocated closer to the rides, in an area now being called “Kid Power!”

Demonstration Stages:

Along the paths, a variety of demonstrations will be taking place, from gardening tips to
woodworking.

Lilac 10K and Family 5K:

This annual event, sponsored by MedVed, is a picturesque run through city streets on the final
day of the festival, Sunday May 19. New high-tech additions help runners track their midway
and final times, while automatically sending texts to family and friends.

Art In the Park:

More than 130 artists will be exhibiting on the South Avenue Green in this year’s juried Arts
and Crafts Shows, open 10:30 a.m. to 6 pm. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Artists
from more than 10 different states are participating, with art ranging from ceramics and glass to
jewelry and metal/sculpture.

2013 Lilac Festival Event Schedule:

Friday, May 10th

Special Events
10:30 Opening Ceremonies

Center Stage
10:30am     Le Roy Jr. High School Swingin’ Knights Jazz Band
11:30am     Brockport 5th Grade Hilltop Singers & Top Brass Players
12:30pm     Dr. Charles T. Lunford School No. 19 School Band
4:00pm Mr. Mustard
5:30pm The Fat City Band
7:00pm Skycoasters

Children’s Stage
5:00pm     Joe Cappon
6:00pm     Joe Cappon

Saturday, May 11th

Special Events
10:30am YNN Lilac Parade
10:30am-6:00pm     Art In Bloom – Juried Art & Craft Show

Center Stage
12:30pm The Spanky Haschmann Swing Orchestra
1:30pm Zac Brown Tribute Band
2:30pm Deborah Mangone
4:00pm Mitty and The Followers
5:30pm Amanda Lee Peers and The Driftwood Sailors
7:00pm Spin Doctors

Children’s Stage
1:00pm         Dinner Dogs
2:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate
3:00pm         Dinner Dogs
4:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate5:00pm         The Magical John Show

Sunday, May 12th

Special Events
10:30am-5:00pm     Art in Bloom – Juried Art & Craft Show

Center Stage
10:30am Alysia Groth Band
11:30am Blue Jimmy
12:30pm The Dirty Bourbon Blues Band
2:30pm         Natalie B Band
4:00pm         My Plastic Sun
5:30pm         Teagan and the Tweeds
7:00pm         Eddie Money

Children’s Stage
1:00pm         Dinner Dogs
2:00pm         The Magical John Show
3:00pm         Mike Kornrich
4:00pm         Dinner Dogs
5:00pm         The Magical John Show

Monday, May 13th

Center Stage
10:30am Abraham Lincoln School 22 Choir
11:00am Cobblestone School Band
12:00am Our Lady of Mercy High School Orchestra
12:30pm Bishop Kearney – Murder of Crows Band
1:30pm Greece Olympia High School
4:00pm MoChester
5:30pm         Lake Street Dive
7:00pm         The English Beat

Children’s Stage
12:30pm “Farmer Tom” Walsh
6:00pm         “Farmer Tom” Walsh

Tuesday, May 14th

Special Events
4:00pm-8:00pm Wine & Chocolate Tasting

Center Stage
10:30am Paul Road Elementary School Band
11:30am Indian Landing School Band
12:30pm Palmyra-Macedon Middle School Honors Band, Jazz Band, Con Brio
1:30pm Spencerport High School Jazz band
4:00pm         Audio Influx
5:30pm         J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound
7:00pm         Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express

Children’s Stage
12:30pm        Mike Kornrich
6:00pm Mike Kornrich

Wednesday, May 15th

Special Events
10:30am-4pm        Seniors Day
4:00pm-8:00pm Wine & Chocolate Tasting

Center Stage
10:30am St. Joseph’s School Band
11:30am St. John’s Jam Band
12:30pm Twelve Corners Middle School Jazz Band & Select Choir
1:30pm Smugtown Stompers
4:00pm Meghan Koch and the Gentleman Callers
5:30pm Tommy Brunett Band
7:00pm The Marshall Tucker Band

Children’s Stage
12:30pm        “Farmer Tom” Walsh
6:00pm         “Farmer Tom” Walsh

Thursday, May 16th

Special Events
4:00pm-8:00pm     Wine & Chocolate Tasting

Center Stage
10:30am         Holly Elementary Chorus
11:00am         Gates Chili Middle School Jazz Ensemble & Spartan Original Singers
12:00pm         School #12 Concert Band and Hand Bell Choir
1:00pm North Christian Academy Concert Band and High School Choir
4:00pm The Moho Collective
5:30pm The Lawnmowers
7:00pm Rusted Root

Children’s Stage
12:30pm Mike Kornrich
6:00pm Mike Kornrich

Friday, May 17th

Center Stage
10:30am Cosgrove Middle School 7th Grade Chorus
11:00am Rochester City School District “Bloomin Arts”
4:00pm Mikaela Davis
5:30pm Brian Lindsay Band
7:00pm The Smithereens

Children’s Stage
12:30pm “Farmer Tom” Walsh
6:00pm         “Farmer Tom” Walsh

Saturday, May 18th

Special Events
10:30am-6:00pm Art In The Park -Juried Art & Craft Show

Center Stage
11:30am Teressa Wilcox Band
12:30am The Fools
2:00pm         The Crawdiddies
3:30pm         Driftwood
5:30pm         The Lone Bellow
7:00pm         The Prickers

Children’s Stage
1:00pm         Matt Episcopo
2:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate
3:00pm         Matt Episcopo
4:00pm         Gary the Happy Pirate
5:00pm         Matt Episcopo

Sunday, May 19th

Special Events
8:00am         5K Family Fun Run
9:00am         10K Race
10:30am-5:00pm     Art In The Park – Juried Art & Craft Show

Center Stage
11:30am Flint Creek
1:00pm Dang!
2:30pm Big Sandy and his fly-rite boys
4:00pm The John Cole Blues Band
5:30pm Prime Time Funk
7:00pm The Campbell Brothers

Children’s Stage
1:00pm Matt Episcopo
2:00pm         Mike Kornrich
3:00pm         Matt Episcopo
4:00pm         Mike Kornrich
5:00pm         The Magical John Show

For more information and updates on Rochester Lilac Festival 2013, visit lilacfestival.com

May 4, 2013
Oh Yes It’s Ladies Night and the Feeling’s Right – Amy Lavere and Savannah King at Abilene Bar, Rochester

On a rainy and miserable Wednesday night in Rochester at Abilene Bar and Lounge, ladies night was in full effect. Memphis bred singer/songwriter and sometime actress Amy Lavere and Buffalo’s Savannah King provided duel cannons of estrogen enforced sun-laden excellence much to the glee of the packed house despite the contradictory weather patterns.

Abilene is somewhat new to Rochester, having opened in 2008 and has provided a much needed eclectic alternative to the typical local music scene. Owner/operator Danny Deutsch is far more likely to be serving you a delicious microbrew or unique liquor concoction from behind the bar instead of sitting in an office shuffling papers. They have a knack for picking popular niche artists and marketing themselves appropriately to bring the masses down to boogie.

The night started at the advertised time (another rarity in the local scene) with Savannah King hitting the stage at promptly 8:30 PM. She wasted no time, opening with an unexpected acoustic one-woman version of the Black Sabbath gem “War Pigs” as the crowd “gathered in their masses”. Savannah is bursting with talent at the ripe old age of 19 and shows true dedication to her art through pursuing a degree in the music field at SUNY Fredonia and traveling anywhere a show calls her name. Appearing alone on stage with an acoustic, her vocals are fluid with a jazzy melody which might bring comparisons to well known artists anywhere from Jewel to Carole King. Adding in her skillful six-string talents gave the crowd one excellent opening act. Her set was cover heavy and diverse, including the aforementioned Sabbath Cover, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and songs by The Tragically Hip and fellow Buffalonian Ani DiFranco. Interspersed between the covers were a handful of originals showcasing a burgeoning artist with a nose for melody and whimsical expression.

After a quick break, Amy took the stage. She tours with drummer and former boyfriend Paul Taylor on drums and recently acquired guitarist/keyboardist Tim Regan. Her style is a mix of bluesy folk and jazz with a sprinkle of rockabilly. Beyond singing, Amy plays an upright bass which despite towering over her petite figure she has full command of. Between many songs she entertained the spellbound audience with stories and toasts which gave the set an exquisite flow. Featuring originals from albums such as Stranger Me and Died of Love and a smattering of covers she delivered a top notch experience to the Abilene crowd. Beyond pleasing the peoples aural cavities, they all appeared to desire a pristine ocular view as this reporter was asked to move several times despite maintaining a low profile.

At one point during the evening, Amy politely excused herself from the stage and guitarist Tim Regan offered up a tasty original of his own. Amy soon returned with the crowd favorite “Damn Love Song” which was one of the highlights of the evening. Other highlights included a nice take on David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” and an end of show moment where both ladies graced the stage for a fun rendition of the Willie Dixon classic “Wang Dang Doodle”. Overall an excellent experience from two artists determined to take it to the top.

This was Amy’s 5th visit to Abilene so watch for her coming back in the future. Catch Savannah’s next show May 10th at the Pausa Art House in Buffalo at 8PM.

May 3, 2013
Amy Lavere and Savannah King to play Abilene Bar and Lounge in Rochester

Multi-talented entertainer Amy LaVere is a true crossover artist, able to bring exceptional skill and raw emotion into whatever she attempts. From movies (Black Snake Moan, Walk the Line) to music she pushes her ample capabilities to the max. Amy will be coming to Abilene Bar and Lounge (153 Liberty Pole Way, Rochester NY) Wednesday April 24th in support of her latest release, the critically acclaimed Stranger Me. This will be her first appearance in Rochester since she blew away fans at the 2010 Jazz Fest. She will be supported by the jazzy folk of Buffalo’s Savannah King. will be on the scene and hope you will be too. The show starts at 8:30 and tickets are very limited.

Cover charge – $15 in advance, $20 day of show. Tickets are available at Abilene and Metro Retro (1241 Park Avenue, Rochester).

April 22, 2013
The Manhattan Project release Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3

The Manhattan Project, one of the northeast’s newest powerhouses, came on to the scene in 2010 and is further making a name for itself with the release of Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3.

The album’s opening track, “Endless Nights,” builds from the start into an all out barrage of sonic output layered with tasteful precision. Deep tonal exploration collides with danceable grooves for a menacing yet satisfying start to the party. Police sirens scream out in the background as Shawn Drogan’s drums continue to build the track for one last explosion of sound. The synth-heavy “Full Bounce” eases its way in with Charlie Lindner at the helm before the beats hit. Enter a layer of dub bass that tactfully wobbles in the background and the track is in full swing with a plethora of hihat chops. The breakdown is soothing and reflects a great contrast and range in the duo’s highs and lows. Beautiful vocals come and go taking the mind with them and returning it to the track just in time for the beat. “Bitcrusher” welcomes powerful vocals, a couple of sizable builds and captivating melodies for a sonic ride that may be the album’s shortest track in length, but also may be its strongest in regards to fan appeal.

What starts out as light percussion and spacey synth builds oh so slowly with a focus on effects, before the bass enters the picture and the listeners fins themselves in the full swing of “Hiroshima.” The combination of middle eastern and Asian influences is evident and reflects a well-round arsenal. The EP concludes with “Aftermath,” a piece that begins with an almost apocalyptic buzz, chirping birds and the eventual warning of an “emergency.” Heavy bass drops and the composition takes off with soaring highs, clashing with deep lows in the albums’ ultimate build and release. The Manhattan Project’s overall output far exceeds that of a typical duo, though nothing about this duo or their music is typical. They are the past in their utilization of worldly influences. They are the present in their tasteful innovation. Atomic Bomb Party vol. 3 offers listeners a fresh perspective on a constantly developing music.

J-man’s Conversation With Shawn Drogan(Drums):

J-man: What are your thoughts on the new album?

Shawn: We’re really excited about this one for a couple reasons; It’s very different than the previous two EP’s. Not only are the BPM’s of each song slower than the last, we explore different rhythms and feels on this one. There’s still a lot of variety like the last and it still sounds like us, but I think people will hear some evolution in the music. Another reason, is that this was an important one to get right and I think we did it! It’s been two years since we’ve released a studio album and we felt like we had to take it up a level this time around. A lot of the music came together fairly quickly in the weeks going into the studio. We only had a certain amount of time to write songs we felt good about and I feel we ended up producing some of our best stuff to date.

J-man: What is your thought of the direction of “mainstream” electronic music and where do you see TMP in relation to a lot of the mainstream music?

Shawn: I think music in general is in a great place! Popular music is popular for a reason. Our music definitely hits on certain levels of mainstream, but also offers something more for people that want something deeper.

J-man: Can you talk about why it is you gentleman opt out of utilizing laptops in your live performances?

Shawn: We both come from a very instrumental background and wanted to utilize that element mainly when we started, but take it somewhere new. We never really planned it out that way, but as we started to develop our sound, we didn’t feel a need for laptops to perform. Now I guess it kind of sets us apart in a way.

J-man: What does TMP have coming up this spring/summer that you guys are most exited about?

Shawn: We’ll be hitting a lot of new cities in the next few months which is always fun, and we’ll be announcing some more festivals very soon.

The Manhattan Project’s website: www.themanhattanprojectlive.com

April 22, 2013